Washington Capitals: The Effect of Each Offseason Addition and Subtraction

The Washington Capitals have been adding to their roster this offseason, while subtracting from it at the same time.

What good—or bad—will come from each of these moves?

Here is a list of all the Capitals' offseason additions and subtractions and how they will affect the Washington Capitals. The list begins with the additions, and each entry includes an analysis of the predicted effect on the team.

The 28-year-old Strachan has played 120 games in the NHL, starting with the St. Louis Blues in 2008-09. He joined the Florida Panthers in 2011-12, and his only two career playoff games were with Florida, that same year.

Last season with Florida, Strachan had no goals and four assists in 38 games, with a minus-13 rating and 40 penalty minutes. His three fighting majors were good for second on the team, according to HockeyFights.com.

Schultz had played his entire seven-year career with Washington, highlighted by the 2009-10 season in which he led the NHL in plus/minus rating at plus-50.

However, the 2012-13 season was the worst of Schultz's career. He only played in 26 of 48 games, or 54 percent. This was the lowest such percentage since Schultz's rookie season, when he played in 46 percent of the team's games. Plus, Schultz's absences were due to healthy scratches, not injuries.

Furthermore, Schultz posted the lowest average time on ice of his career, according to Hockey-Reference.com.

HOW WILL THIS SUBTRACTION AFFECT THE CAPITALS?

The Capitals lose a warm body on the blue line.

More importantly, the departure of Schultz provides an opportunity for young defensemen such as Tomas Kundratek or Dmitry Orlov to gain valuable experience in the NHL, with the hope of gaining a permanent place in the lineup.

The Minnesota native also led the team in fighting majors, according to HockeyFights.com. Hendricks would fight whoever the team needed him to fight even if he was outsized, which happens a lot when you're 6' 0", 211 pounds.

HOW WILL THIS SUBTRACTION AFFECT THE CAPITALS?

Severely, that's how.

Matt Hendricks excels at tasks that are vital to the survival of any hockey team. No one else on the Capitals' current roster does them better than he does.